


A Visit to Red Grave

by FuryTigresse



Series: After The Nightmare [7]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Books, DMC 5 spoilers, Devil May Cry 5 Spoilers, Family, Family Bonding, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Post Devil May Cry 5, Post-Game(s), Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 03:33:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18652051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuryTigresse/pseuds/FuryTigresse
Summary: [Spoilers for Devil May Cry 5] Nero visits Vergil in his father's little bookstore in Red Grave City and discovers that, just like with every customer service job, rude customers are a thing.





	A Visit to Red Grave

**Author's Note:**

> This happens after _Bonding Op_. It kinda has a plot this time? :p This is pretty much just bits and pieces of Vergil's Redemption Arc xD
> 
> English isn't my first language, so let me know if you see mistakes and/or typos!

The van was hot and stuffy, the air practically unbreathable with Nico chaining up a 4x cigarette combo. Opening the windows was an even worse idea, however, with the heat being downright sweltering, so Nero had quietly accepted the idea that he'd develop lung cancer before he'd turn thirty. They were almost in Red Grave City, almost where they wanted to go. He just had to survive a little longer.

He had just finished a job in a neighboring town. It had taken more time to get there than to hunt the demon down, really, so Nero had asked Nico to make a detour in Red Grave afterwards, since they were close by. The inventor had accepted, if only to take a much needed break from driving before they'd go back home. She'd also use that time to hit the stores, see if there was anything interesting that would spark her creativity. But, of course, Nero had another goal: visiting his father.

There were two reasons for this. The first one was that he wanted to at least say hi while he was nearby. It had been a little while since he had last seen Vergil, so it was only polite to drop by and let him know he was in town, even if his father wasn't the most socially-driven individual. And the second reason was that Nero wanted to see the half-demon working in that little bookstore of his. Apparently, it wasn't all that lucrative, which mattered little since Dante had decided to rehire his brother to manage Devil May Cry's money after that GameCube fiasco. Nero had been told that Kyrie had scolded Dante the next day, and he knew his girlfriend could be _scary_ when she was angry, so that had probably helped the rehiring process. Vergil had still decided to keep his store despite that because he had taken a liking to it, and he could go back and forth between Devil May Cry and his store with portals. And Nero was curious to see him deal with people.

He felt the demonic energy surrounding him rustle a little, feeling its original source getting closer. They were almost there.

"Next street to the right, then a left after that. Third building on the right side."  
"Your daddy's got a parking lot?" Nico asked.  
"Yeah."  
"Good. I'll leave the van there. Need me to buy anything for ya?"  
"Nah."

They finally reached their destination and Nero got out the moment the car was stopped. He made sure he had William Blake's book with him - just in case his father was in the mood to discuss poetry, and it was also Nero's way to show his will to have a true father-son relationship with Vergil - and headed for the door.

The first thing he noticed when stepping inside the small bookstore was that nothing had really changed since they had all helped Vergil set it up a while back, except for a few things. The books were different, and this time there was discreet classical music playing from the store's sound system, just loud enough to be noticed, but not enough to distract. The air conditioning made him practically purr in happiness after the sweltering heat outside. The second thing he noticed was that the store smelled entirely like Vergil, or maybe it was that Vergil smelled like his store. Either way, it smelled of paper, of books, and of... of quiet, and peacefulness, if that made any sense, and Nero could understand why his father was keeping this place despite not making much money with it. After a life of chaos and stress, this calm, safe place was probably helping Vergil deal with the past. And everyone knew how much he needed that.

The third thing he noticed was that Vergil was placing some books on the shelves and that he hadn't even bothered turning when Nero had stepped in. He also seemed entirely unsurprised by his presence.

"Hey, dad."  
"Nero. Why are you here?"

The tone was cold, as usual, and a bit brusque, but Nero was used to it, and mentally added three units of warm intonation to it in order to be able to compare it to other people's usual tone. This time, after the mental addition, he concluded that it was just Vergil's normal tone: he didn't seem particularly pleased or displeased to see his son. Good to know. He wasn't bothering him.

"I finished a hunt not too far away, so... I figured I'd say hi while I was nearby," Nero explained. He then frowned a little. "I mean, if you're good with that. You busy?"  
"Take a seat and read."  
"I'll take that as a yes."

He still obeyed and chose a book to read before he went towards the back of the store. There were two armchairs there, and a small table between them. He remembered wondering why there would be a place to read in a _bookstore_ \- this wasn't a library - until Vergil had explained that he planned on carrying some books that may need more than just a summary to seem interesting. Nero still didn't 100% get it, but he wouldn't complain if that meant he could chill there for a while. The store wasn't big, so he wasn't entirely isolated and he could still watch his father at work. That was good. It was good too that Vergil didn't want him out immediately. He sat, book in hand, and started reading.

It took thirty minutes before a customer set foot into the store. It was an old woman who could barely walk, which made Nero get up, planning to help her. However, Vergil was faster, and he brought the old woman a chair, helping her sit.

"Thank you, Vergil. Always so thoughtful. My husband told me that you've received my order?"

The Devil Hunter kept his eyes on Vergil, actually fascinated. He had no idea that his father had his own version of a customer service face. Granted, it was much darker than anyone else's, but it wasn't an entirely cold expression either.

"Indeed. Allow me to fetch it for you," Vergil told her, voice mostly low, but loud enough to be heard clearly.

That wasn't all that surprising for Nero. His father only really raised his voice when he was mildly annoyed or when he was in a fight. Or when he was talking to Dante, although that might be because one or both of the previous reasons. The rest of the time, he was more similar to the way V had been, quieter and speaking in a more sophisticated way than both brother and son. And with the half-demon carrying the Yamato hidden in the form of V's silvery cane, Nero couldn't help but wonder if there was more of V in Vergil, or if that was the full extent of his influence on him.

He watched silently as Vergil went behind the counter and pulled out a book from a drawer. It looked like some kind of philosophical and complicated thing. Nero had guessed it wouldn't be a fashion magazine.

"Thank you, my boy," the old lady told him with a smile. "Do I owe you anything?"  
"You've already paid in full."  
"Good, good. I'll take my leave, then. Take good care of yourself, Vergil."

She got up and cheerfully made her way out, singing to herself in the cutest kind of old lady's voice. Nero smirked when Vergil brought the chair back behind the counter and caught him spying.

"Didn't know you had a soft spot for grandmas, old man."  
"I do not. It's only courtesy."  
"Look, I didn't even _know_ you knew how to not frown. Let me be surprised."  
"Are you here to mock me while I work?"

Vergil's tone was a little sharper this time, a little more annoyed, even with the mental addition of warmth to normalize it, and Nero mentally punched himself. Peaceful, safe place for Vergil. Right. Better not fuck it up, or there was a risk that his father would go live the wild life again.

"No, not at all." He hesitated for a second. "... sorry."

Vergil accepted the apology with a nod, then went back to work.

Nero ended up thinking about ways to better communicate with his father - walking on eggshells every time was getting a bit tiring - for the next hour, only stopping when another customer entered the store. From Vergil's lack of reaction, Nero supposed that his father wasn't exactly glad to see that guy. His jacket reacted a little, sensing trouble, and Nero quietly put his hood up before lowering his head, not wanting to cause any problems for Vergil.

He heard the customer walk around - loud, clumsy footsteps, so different from Vergil's - for a few seconds, then stop. Nero didn't look up, but he could feel the stare - the glare? - of the man on him. He had a hunch he didn't look like Vergil's typical customer, with his combat boots and his old tattered shirt. At least his jacket always looked brand new.

After a few seconds, the man turned away again, picked a book from the shelf nearby and walked back to the front. Nero was about to relax, but then the customer spoke. Loudly.

"Hey, what's that punk doing in the back? I thought this store had more respect for its regular customers than that. Since when are you letting stupid kids in?"

Nero was glad he had put his hood up. That way, Vergil didn't have to be associated with him when he'd get up and punch- wait, why did the room feel freezing all of a sudden? Nero slipped his hood down and stood up to see what was happening. He saw Vergil at the front. Apparently his father had been dusting the counter when the customer had spoken. He wasn't doing so anymore.

Arctic blue eyes became even colder as Vergil looked at the customer. His frown was deeper than usual, his grip on the Yamato - still hidden, barely - tighter. His jaw was clenched, and his entire body shook with tension. The freezing feeling in the room was his demonic aura, and Nero felt his jacket tighten slightly around him, like it did before a battle, aiming to protect him or patch him up, its energy imbued with Vergil's intentions when he had poured it.

The only word he had to describe his father at the moment was "enraged". The only time he had seen him legit angry like that, not just mildly annoyed, was when Vergil had just returned from Hell with Dante, and Nero had confronted him about his mother - and suggested that maybe Vergil had raped her. This felt similar, Vergil's aura making Nero want to activate his Devil Trigger, feeling defensive.

When Vergil spoke, his voice was low, tight, with an undertone of _pure danger_. Nero's human side wanted to hide and hope he wouldn't get killed. His inner demon felt curious enough to keep watching.

"I will let you know," the half-demon said slowly, "that this... 'punk', this 'stupid kid', as you called him, is my _son_."

The book the customer had been about to buy was snatched from his hands, and Vergil's eyes glowed, a deep growl making the store vibrate.

"Leave _immediately_ and _never return_."

The man obeyed immediately, terrified, and Nero went to the front of the store, feeling his father's aura still overflowing although the vibration in the store had stopped. Vergil was just standing behind the counter, eyes still glowing, blue cracks on his skin. He was close to Triggering out of sheer _emotion_.

Out of anger that the customer had dared _insult_ _his son_.

Nero was secretly - or not so secretly, actually - ridiculously pleased that Vergil had actually claimed him as his son, out loud, and gotten angry _for him_. For now, however, he wouldn't spend too much time thinking about it. The first thing he had to do was to calm the half-demon down.

(That in itself also pleased him. Vergil usually calmed himself pretty easily on his own, and the fact that he was still pissed off was the best proof of _care_ Nero could hope for coming from him.)

"Dad?"

Glowing blue eyes snapped in his direction. Nero pulled out a book from his jacket's inner pocket and put it down on the counter with a - he hoped - calming smile.

"Thank you. Now go to the back and read some William Blake. I'll tend to the store until you're good to go."

The glow didn't disappear, but the cracks did, and Vergil took the book with a small, grateful nod, before he went to the back of the store. Nero had no idea how to work in a store, but he figured it wouldn't take all that long before his father came back.

Until then, he was okay with just grinning to himself like an idiot. He had been insulted a lot in his life, had been called a lot of things, but this time he didn't really care. His father had gotten angry _in his stead_.

Damn, he couldn't _wait_ to tell the others about this.

***

"Don't you _dare_ tell Dante."

Nero raised an eyebrow, glancing up from his book with an amused smirk.

"So I can tell Nico and Kyrie?"  
"If you tell _anyone_..."  
"Hey."

Vergil frowned at Nero, who couldn't help but keep smiling.

"I _promise_ I won't tell anyone."

He'd keep his promise. It wasn't everyday that his father got angry on his behalf, and it wasn't everyday that he got to watch him take good care of cute little grandmas.

And keeping those to himself would make for promising teasing in the future.

**Author's Note:**

> This one came from the idea of "would Vergil ever claim to a stranger that Nero is his son?", and I also wanted to piss him off again, so that's what happened :p At this point in my timeline, Vergil has mostly settled into a mundane life and he's doing his best to be an okay dad. Who knows, however, maybe something will happen and fudge up all his progress :O (I'm kidding, I don't have actual plans for that)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this little story! :)


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